Dear Indot, You Suck

Writing Prompts:

1.) Last week you chose a 6 word memoir to share…this week elaborate. Tell us the story or thought process behind the sentence you wrote.
2.) Write a dramatic synopsis of a memorable day in your life, as if it was a movie or TV series.
(Inspired by Alison from Mama Wants This)
3.) Describe what you think your life would be like if you had never had kids.
(inspired by Amy from Somebody’s Parent)
4.) In honor of the “white” after Memorial Day rule, name a fashion rule that you either break or enforce.
(inspired by Jenny at Karma Continued…)
5.) Share a memorable road trip story!
(inspired by the Crooked Little House)

This post is sponsored by prompt #5


December 23, 2008: What should have been a "3 hour tour" became a nightmare.

I was going home for Christmas. I was supposed to have the day off, but for some reason I ended up having to come in until 12. I finally escaped work at 12:30, arrived back home by 1:00 and was packed and ready to hit the road for my short drive from Indianapolis, IN to Wauseon, OH.

The Problem: The freezing rain had already began.
The Bigger Problem: INDOT hadn't pretreated the roads.

I hate snow. That being said I would rather drive in snow than  on ice. Yes, ice is harder to deal with, but had INDOT planned ahead and pretreated, this wouldn't have been nearly the clusterf*ck it became.

2:30: I'm on 465 with my birds and headed towards home.

2:45 I get on I-69 N. It is backed up, but, I'm used to that. (I-69 begins at 465)

3:50 I make it to exit 5...and I'm getting cranky

5:00 I finally make it to exit 10, and that is when they announce that I-69 S is closed...so even if I wanted to turn around I can't

6:00 Mom calls the first time, but I do not answer out of fear that if I let go of the steering wheel, the birds and          
 I become some sad story on WTHR (Local Woman and birds killed when her Kia Rio was struck by a flatbed trailer). I'm moving, but not very fast. The crazies in the other lane keep trying to drive faster and sliding all over the place. Popcorn is in the back seat, and just keeps repeating "Ut-oh... Pretty Bird."

thanks for the vote of confidence...jerk

6:15 Mom calls again. I should be at her house by now...and she is getting worried.

6:30 Mom calls a third time. We aren't moving anymore, so I answer.  She asks me where I am.

We are at the Nestle Bunny:

Yes, I have just barely made it to Anderson.

7:45 I finally reach Alexandria, and apparently INDOT was on the ball up there because amazingly the roads were clear. You didn't want to go 80 mph, but 50 mph was totally reasonable and safe. Life is good.

9:45 We finally reach Fort Wayne. Batty is in full on panic attack mode. I can hear him hyperventilating (he hates car rides). Popcorn is still repeating himself. I look over at the parakeets in the passenger seat and discover that they are about to mutiny.

imagine these two doing something more like this

with really pathetic looks on their faces.

I assure them that are home free and will be there in no time and then...we hit Auburn where INDOT apparently decided to stop working again. Now we were facing a snow covered tundra.

I just keep telling myself: we just have to make it to the toll road. Once we get there it will be clear. That is the reason I take the toll road: in theory it should be cleared in bad weather (and my dad doesn't like me taking the back roads). 

11:00 We finally reach the toll road, and it is a drifted over mess...wtf?

11:40 We reach Ohio and suddenly the roads are clear again. Come on Indiana. If Ohio can clear their roads, you can too.

12:20 We reach our exit...lots of people are exiting here. The nice toll booth worker refers me to the pet friendly hotel (as most of the people exiting are calling it a night after driving through Indiana). I thank her, but say I am almost to my parents.

12:30 I am finally safe in the parsonage garage...with my mom, pizza, m&m's and diet coke (with a little captain) to make it all better.

To recap: